Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-02-11
ETIQUETTE.
Bill Nye on the Modern American Habit
of Anonymous Introductions.

VI sthohs
There seems to be growing tendency
on the part of the average American to-
ward what may be pardoned for call
ing the anonymous or tRc0g, introduc-
ton. This introduction generally
starts off in n tortiSSimo strain that, if
kept up throughout the recital, would
herald the names of both parties TO the
uttermost parts of the earth. Then the
piano and dimiHuendO strain comes in.
That is the reason we are acquainted
with so many people whose names we
do not know. A man steps up to you
in crowd somewhere in one of those
quiet little town meetings where it is q
mark of great conversational genius TO
talk steadily onward without using the
mind. and says: Pardon me, | want
to make you two people acquainted.
You ought to know each other. You
are both friends of mine. Mr. -,
Mr.. -. There, now YOU are ac-
quaintedr'
Why man should write long letter
and write it plainly, signing it at the
end with n name that would have both
cred Daniel to decipher, is more than
L
of peculiarly as the anonymous intro
duction exactly. may be little care
less about my penmanship while writing
in great hurry, trying TO keep up with
my surging thoughts. but most always
sign my name so that it can be dcci-
phered. | have written letters where the
signature was the only thing that was
absolutely beyond the possibility of
doubt. But if man signs his name so
that YOU can write TO him and ask him
what the balance of his letter was about.
it is better than long, beautiful letter
from an unknown and unknowable per-
son. In the latter case, you are left to
kick the empty air.
Some day when get more time, am
going TO prepare long treatise upon
etiquette. and deliver it to the Amori-
can people, illustrated by one of those
stereopticons. Etiquette has been
lifelong study for me. Ii is thing
that has engrosscd my attention from
my earliest boyhood, and it shows itself
at once in my polished manners and
easy-running carriage.
AT table especially our American peo-
pie need great deal of training.
Wherever go, | am struck with our
sad need OF careful training As
country. we. need careful instructions in
our manners, more especially ut hotels.
Only the other day, ut the tube d'h0te,
heard 4 man ask for half dozen
buckwheat cakes. and when they came
to him he moistened the tips of his fin
gers in finger bowl and ran over the
cakes as he would roll of currency,
for he was the assistant cashier in a
national bank. Another man at the
same table was asked to pass the pepper
box and he took it with his thumb on
the bottom and his two first fingers on
the top, just as he had been in the habit
of moving n stack Of chips from the ace
to the deuce. no doubt, for years.
So we rs people crowd our vocations
TO the front, and are not able TO Danish
our trades and professions. even at
table. We should try to overcome this.
and there are many other features of
our national etiquette which we need to
change.
Only last week saw fine looking
young man SIT at the hotel table comb
ing his moustache with his fork, and
while in brown study the fork slipped
out of the moustachc and plunged with
a sickening jab into his eye. We cam
not be too careful in our intercourse
with men to avoid all appearance of
evil.
Etiquette always marks the true gen
tleman and makes him an object OF
curiosity, especially at n hotel. When
you see gentleman with whom you
are not acquainted YOU should look up
on him with genteel horror and shud-
der two times in rapid succession. This
viii convince stranger that you have
been reared with the greatest care and
that your parents have taken special
pains not to allow you to associate with
vulgar people.
| started out to say few words about
the folly of indistinct introductions and
wappy-iawed signatures, but | have
wandered away, as am apt to do.